WEBVTT
NATALIE: LURKING IN THE TREES,
BENCHES, AND SIDEWALKS AROUND
THE CITY, THESE SMALL, FURRY AND
QUIET CREATURES
ACTUALLY LOOK KIND OF CUTE AND
CUDDLY.
>> THAT PAIN WAS INDESCRIBABLE.
AND IT WAS PROBABLY THE WORST
PAIN I'VE BEEN THROUGH.
NATALIE: KARL MISCHLER REMEMBERS
WHEN HE WAS STUNG BY A PUSS MOTH
CATERPILLAR DECADES AGO.
>> 7-YEARS-OLD OR 8-YEARS-OLD, I
BRUSHED UP AGAINST ONE OF THEM
AND IT STUNG ME SO BAD I THOUGHT
IT WAS THE END OF THE WORLD,
PRETTY MUCH.
I'M IN MY 50'S NOW, SO IT'S
QUITE A WHILE BACK, BUT WITH
THAT KIND OF PAIN YOU NEVER
FORGET.
NATALIE: THE CATERPILLAR
MEASURES ONLY ABOUT AN INCH OR
TWO IN LENGTH, BUT BENEATH ITS
COAT OF HAIRS ARE VENOMOUS,
LITTLE STINGERS.
>> THAT CAN BE EXCRUCIATINGLY
PAINFUL AND I'M GOING TO SAY
THAT BECAUSE I'VE ACTUALLY BEEN
BITTEN BY A SNAKE BEFORE AND I
GOT BITTEN BY A CATERPILLAR AND
THE CATERPILLAR BITE WAS MUCH
MORE PAINFUL THAN THE SNAKE
BITE.
NATALIE: MOST PEOPLE HAVE NEVER
EVEN NOTICED THEM.
>> HAVE YOU EVER SEEN ONE?
>> NO.
THAT IS REALLY CREEPY.
NATALI BUT EXPERTS SAY THE
PUSS MOTH CATERPILLAR IS ONE OF
FOUR, COMMON STINGING
CATERPILLARS IN LOUISIANA.
>> DON'T MOVE AROUND A LOT IF
STUNG.
TAKE A BENADRYL, ESPECIALLY IF
YOU KNOW THAT YOU HAVE A BAD
REACTION TO STINGS, AND PUT ICE
ON THE SITE.
>> YOU COULD ALSO HAVE SYSTEMIC
SYMPTOMS, AND THAT CAN BE
NAUSEA, VOMITTING, HEADACHES,
FEVER AND EVEN ANTI-PHIL ACCESS,
WHIC IS AN ALLERGIC REACTION
THAT COULD CAUSE YOU TO STOP
BREATHING.
NATALIE: SOMETIMES YOU CAN EVEN
LEAVE A GNARLY SCAR.
AND FOR CARL HE'S LEARNED HIS
, LESSON THE HARD WAY.
>> I JUST GO THE OTHER
DIRECTION.
NATALI EXPERTS SAY THAT THESE
CATERPILLARS WILL NOT LURKING

Cute? Cuddly? These caterpillars are anything but!

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Updated: 12:15 PM EST Jan 4, 2017

NEW ORLEANS, La. —

Lurking in the trees, benches, and sidewalks in much of the eastern United States, these small, furry and quiet creatures actually look kind of cute and cuddly. But don't let their exteriors fool you.